Molding glass articles



June 3948. H. K. RICHARDSON 2,442,369

MOLDING GLASS ARTICLES original Filed Aug'. 11, 1938 INVENTOR BY81 s ATTORNE'.v

Patented June S, 1948 S'E'E'S PATENT FFICE MOLDING GLASS ARTICLES Continuation of application Serial No. 224,287, August 11, 1938. This application October 10, 1942, Serial No. 461,537

7 Claims.

This application is a continuation of my application Serial No. 224,287, led August 11, 1938, and subsequently abandoned, and owned bythe assignee of the `present application.

This invention relates to the manufacture of glass articles, and more particularly to molding reflector portions which may serve as parts of lamp envelopes.

Theprincipal object of my invention, generally considered, is the manufacture of electric lamps by a process in which at least one part is formed by molding molten glass about conductors.

Another object of my invention is the manufacture of the reiiector portion of a lamp bymolding glass, at the same time incorporating lead wires and an exhaust tube-therewith,said reflector portion to be subsequently completed by coating with a film of suitable metal in any desired manner.

A further object of my invention is the formation of lamp bulbs by molding a cupped portion of eachbulb.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, relating to the particular arrangement and construction of the various parts will become Vapparent as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the reector portion of a lamp embodying my invention, the cover portion or remainder of the bulb thereof being fragmentarily illustrated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the lower die or lower portion of a mold Vin which the reector portion shown in Fig. 1 may be cast or formed, illustrating the process of iillng the mold with molten glass from a stream.

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing the subsequent position where the glass stream has been out off and the upper die brought into operative relation with respect to the lower die, or lower portion of the mold, to cause the glass to rise and completely ll the mold, in order to form the desired glass part.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view corresponding to to Fig. 2, but showing a ,modication Referring to the drawings in detail, and rst considering the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 3, there is shown a glass lamp vbase or reflector portion I l containing three lead wires l2, 13, and lli, and an exhaust tube l5, all parts of which are molded in place, as will be explained in connection with Figs. 2 and 3. The inside surface It of the base or reilector portion of the lamp bulb may, at a suitable time, be coatedl with a-light reflecting surface such as a layer of suitable metal, thereby forming a concave mirror surface, as will be understood. The cover portion l1 or remainder of the lamp bulb shown diagrammatically in dotted lines, may be secured vto the base or reflector portion ll in any suitable manner.

Figs. 2 and 3 show apparatus which may be employed for molding glass bases or reflector -portions H, such as illustrated in Fig. 1. A table or support is indicated at I8, Vand mounted `thereon is a mold guiding member I9 in which is slidably mounted the lower mold element or die 20 having a portion 2l extending downwardly therefrom and normally acted on by coil return spring 22 to hold it in its lowermost or normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, where it is adapted to receive molten glass 23, as from a stream 24 issuing from a furnace, not shown.

In order to accurately predetermine the amount of glass fed tothe lower die or mold element `20, I desirably employ a stream 24 issuing from a glass melting furnace (not shown), through an orificeprovided with'a die (not'shown) which die, however, is preferably formed of yan alloy of Aplatinum and rhodium, such as described and claimed in Patent No. 2,031,083, dated `February 18, 1936, or my Patent No. 2,190,296, dated February 13, 1940,

The temperature of said stream is desirably maintained uniform 'by sighting a radiation pyrometer thereon and controlling the heat of the furnace by means of apparatus such as described and claimed in the Patent No. 2,116,450, dated May 3, 1938; so that an accurately controlled amount of glass is fed to each Ymold as it passes under the stream 24.

In order to rmake the reector or base forming operation continuous, I ydesirably have a series of molds, such as shown in Figs, 2 and 3, and cause the same to move under'the stream of freely flowing molten glass one by one, to receive the charge required and then pass on to make way for the next mold, Vin a manner such as described and claimed in the copendingapplication of Richardson et al., Serial No. 205,180, iled April 3 0, 1938, now Patent No. 2,393,265, dated January 22, 1946, and owned by the assignee of the present appiication. When the glass has risen to the proper level in the die .29, such, for example, as indicated by the dotted line 25, the stream 24 is out oft, or the die 28 moved fromthereunder, and the upper die or mold element 26 moved downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3, as by means ofthe actuating arm 2l, to thereby form the glass base or reector portion I I.

In order to properly form the base portion II, the upper die or mold element 26 has apertures or cavities 28, 29, and 3I which receive the upper ends of the lead wires I2, I3, and I'4, positioned in corresponding cavities in the lower die or mold element 20, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper die or mold element 26 also has a downwardly extending projection 32 which ts, with clearance corresponding with the desired wall thickness, the upwardly opening pocket, cavity or hole 33 in the lower die or mold element 20, thereby serving to form the exhaust tube portion I5 of the base or reflector element II.

After the glass base or reflector element I I has been formed in the die, as shown in Fig. 3, and

has hardened sumciently by cooling, the upper die or mold element 26 is raised and the glass member II ejected from the lower die by moving the ejector extension 2| upwardly, against the action of the spring 22, until the edge or rimportion 34 of the glass element II passes above the upper edge 35 of the die guide I9, when the glass element II may be removed from said die in any desired manner, or will be automatically loosened and removed from the lower die 2l] by engagement of the upper edge portion 35 therewith when said lower die is returned to normally lowered position.

Upon removal of the formed glass member II, the lower die may move to receive another charge of glass from the stream 24, so' that the operation is repeated.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figure 4, there is shown a lower mold element or die 20a, which is preferably slidably mounted in a mold guiding member I9, as in the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. As in said first embodiment, the die 20 may have a downwardly extending portion normally acted upon by a coil spring to hold it in its lowermost or normal position, where it is adapted to receive molten glass, a-s from a stream issuing from a furnace, not shown.

As in the preceding embodiment, an upper die or mold element 26a, corresponding with the die 25, is desirably employed, having a downwardly extending projection 32il which lits, with clearance corresponding with the desired wall thickness, the aperture 33a in the lower die or mold element 20a, thereby serving to form the exhaust tube portion of a base or reflector element II. The lower mold element 2!)a differs from the element 20 of the preceding embodiment, in that instead of having a mere upwardly opening pocket or cavity, the hole or aperture 33a extends from top to bottom of the die, thereby facilitating cleaning or removal of material which may be caught therein.

The glass a which has been fed to the mold, as described in connection with the preceding embodiment, is suiciently viscous, because of the cooling action of the mold, that it will not run through the aperture 33a, but will hang therein, as indicated at I5a, and be pushed down the proper distance by the projection 32a, when the upper die is lowered into registering relation therewith. Thus, a glass base portion approximating that shown in Fig. l, may be formed, as the lower die 2IJa desirably holds lead wires |28, |35, and |48, as in the preceding embodiment.

From the foregoing disclosure, it will be seen that I have devised apparatus for molding glass parts, in which the lead-in conductors and eX- haust tubes are incorporated with the part during the process of molding, thereby avoiding some of the subsequent steps previously employed.

It will also be understood that although I have shown a molded glass article of a certain shape, yet other shapes may be molded in the same way, with or without leads and/or exhaust tubes incorporated therewith at the time of molding. It should therefore be clear that my invention is limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus comprising a cup-like lower mold element adapted to receive freely flowing molten glass and formed with openings to receive and hold elongated conductors in generally upright positions, a guide member in which said lower mold element is vertically movable and which has sides projecting above the normal position of the upper edge of said lower mold element, said lower mold element having a generally central opening to receive an extension on a part to be molded, and a cooperatively-formed upper mold element having openings to receive the upper portions of said conductors and a projection receivable in said generally central opening with clearance desired for molding a tubular extension on the article to be made, whereby said upper mold element may be forced down into a charge of molten glass around conductors held in the lower mold element, to cause the glass level to rise above said lower mold element in said guide member, and the glass to lill the space dened by said mold elements and guide member, to form a glass article with an integral extension to function as an exhaust tube and molded-im place Conductors to function as current-carrying leads.

2. Apparatus comprising a cup-like lower mold element adapted to receive molten glass and having a generally central opening to receive an extension on -a part to be molded, and a cooperatively-formed upper mold element fitting the lower mold element with clearance allowing for the thickness of the part to be molded, and having a projection receivable in said generally central opening with clearance desired for molding a tubular extension on the article to be made, whereby said upper mold element may be forced down into a charge of molten glass in the lower mold element, to cause the glass level to rise and the glass to ll the space defined by said mold elements, to form a glass article with an integral extension adapted to function as an exhaust tube.

3. Apparatus comprisingr a cup-like lower mold element adapted to receive freely flowing molten glass and formed with pockets to receive and hold elongated conductors in generally upright positions, and a cooperatively-formed upper mold element having openings to receive the upper portions of said conductors when the mold elements come together, whereby said upper mold element may be forced down into a charge of molten glass around conductors held by said lower mold element to cause the glass level to rise in said lower mold element and the glass to iill the space dened by said elements to form a glass article with molded-in-place conductors adapted to function as current-carrying leads.

4. Apparatus comprising a cup-like lower mold element adapted to receive freely flowing molten glass, formed with openings to receive and hold elongated conductors in generally upright positions, and having a generally central opening to receive an extension on a part to be molded, and

a cooperatively-formed upper mold element having openings to receive upper portions of said conductors and a projection receivable in said generally central opening with clearance desired for molding a tubular extension on the article to be made, whereby said upper mold element may be forced down into a charge of molten glass` around conductors held in place in the lower mold element to cause the glass level to rise in said lower mold element and fill the space defined by said mold elements, to form a glass article with an integral extension to function as an exhaust tube and molded-in-place conductors adapted to function as current carrying leads.

5. Apparatus comprising a cup-like lower mold element adapted to receive freely flowing molten glass and formed with openings to receive and hold elongated conductors in generally upright positions, a guide member in which said lower mold element is vertically movable and which has sides projecting above the normal position of the upper edge of said lower mold element, and a cooperatively-formed upper mold element having openings to receive the upper portions of said conductors, whereby said upper mold element may be forceddown into a charge of molten glass around conductors held in said lower mold element to cause the glass level to rise above said lower mold element in said guide member and the glass to ll the space defined by said mold elements and guide member, 'to form a glass article with molded-in-place conductors adapted to function as current carrying leads.

6. Apparatus comprising a cup-like lower mold element adapted to receive freely flowing molten glass and formed with a generally central opening to receive an extension on a part to be molded, a guide member in which said lower mold element is vertically movable and which has sides projecting above the norma1 position of the upper edge of said lower mold element, and a cooperativelyformed upper mold element having a projection receivable in said generally central opening with clearance desired for molding a tubular extension on the article to be made, whereby said upper mold element may be forced down into a charge of molten glass in the lower mold element to cause the glass level to rise above said lower mold element in said guide member and the glass to fill the space dened by said mold elements and guide member, to form a glass article with an integral extension adapted to function as an exhaust tube.

7. Apparatus comprising a cup-like lower mold element adapted to receive freely flowing molten glass, a guide member in which said lower mold element is vertically movable and which has sides projecting above the normal position of the upper edge of said lower mold element, and a cooperatively-formed upper mold element adapted to be forced down into a charge of molten glass in said lower mold element to cause the glass level to rise above said lower mold element in said guide member and the glass to lill the space dened by said mold elements and guide member, to form a glass article. Y

HENRY K. RICHARDSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ol this patent:

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